A Blissful Kitty Nap Beneath the Dappled Shade Chapter 6

[xuebingcode]

Chapter 6

Faust: …You managed to purify it. 

Riquet: That’s one! Thank goodness, I was worried what would happen.

Shino: The other cats have started to come out of their hiding spots. They hate Mithra, but not us it seems.

Bradley: It’s a good thing these cats are cowardly. We might’ve not been able to collect any collars and it would’ve been all your fault. 

Mithra: Oh, cram it. Haaaugh, this is why I hate animals. They all act according to their own whims.

Akira: (Look who’s talking…)

Faust: In any case, let’s continue collecting. 

Akira: Ah! That big cat with the long hair, it’s got a collar on. It’s looking at you, Bradley. 

Bradley: Oh, what’s up ya big cat? Wanna play with me? Here ya go, it’s your favourite cat toy.

Big Cat: …

…Hu.

Shino: It’s laughing through its nose at you, Bradley. 

Faust: There are cats like these. Even if you try to play with them they just look at you like you’re too childish…

Springy Kitten: *swat swat swat* ! *swat swat swat* !

Akira: A kitten appeared and started playing with it instead…

Bradley: Stinking cat thinks it’s better than me and takes me for a fool…

Riquet: Wah! Geez, don’t swing your tail so much, it’s danger…ous…

… *stare*...

Hmm~...

Bradley: Hey. Don’tcha dare whack my tail.

Riquet: Wha! I’m so sorry. I was just so mesmerized by it.

Lennox: I get how you feel. I especially like it when the tail hits something and makes…a really nice sound…

… *stare*…

Hmm…

Bradley: Not you too, Shepherd! If that arm of yours whacks me it’s gonna be no joke.

Faust: …Want to smell some citrus? Here.

Lennox: Haah. My apologies…

Riquet: Ahem! Okay, in return for having tried to whack Bradley’s tail, I will call over that big cat. 

If it has no interest in toys, then I will use food. 

Sanretea Edif.

Come, have a bite.

Its tail stood up, and thumped over to Riquet and his plate of food.

As soon as it smelled the scent of the cheese, it turned around, and made a kicking motion like it was flinging sand over it. 

Akira: (Aah…so it didn’t like it…)

Riquet: …? Master Sage, what is the cat doing?

Akira: Err…so well…

Shino: That’s what cats do after they poop. It’s saying it doesn’t like your food.

Riquet: Huh!? That’s so mean…! Even though I prepared that for it! 

Faust: If it can be a picky eater, then it must’ve never known starvation. The wizard here really spoiled their cats…

He swung his finger, and the plate of food was covered in powder.

It began to smell of dried fish and grilled meat, and he crouched down to give it to the cat.

Faust: Here. Will you eat it now?

Big Cat: *sniff sniff sniff*...

…*munch*

Riquet: It ate it!

Akira: It’s a success!

Faust: I got its collar. …As I thought, cats prefer dishes like this.

Shino: Huuuh. Like your black and white cats?

Faust: Yeah. Sometimes I give it to them as thanks…err as an exchange. They always eat it.

Lennox: What sort of exchange?

Faust: Those two will show me the prey they hunted from time to time, probably to tell me they’ve been hunting, or to show off. 

And among the prey they catch, there’s occasionally a rare bird whose feather I can use for spells. 

So this exchange is sort of like, me giving them delicious food if they catch this bird for me…

I can see him smile a little. It was a peaceful and silent one,

probably to not scare the cat while it's eating by making any sudden moves. Seeing him crouched down, watching over the cat eating the cheese, made me imagine.

I thought of him at his home with the small stream running, the rustling of the trees, and the bright sunlight from between the leaves. I could see his cats proudly showing him their catch of the day.

Another scene pops into my mind of him bringing out a fancy delicacy, negotiating with the cats to leave him that bird in exchange, with that voice of his that hadn’t spoken to anyone for hundreds of years.

The cats would raise their necks to look at him, and blink slowly as proof of their trust. 

He’s been betrayed, despised, and burned by humans–but the seclusion of this Valley that healed him and let him be kind to me,

must have been a soothing, warm, and tranquil time with memories of pure white light. 

Tortoiseshell Cat: Mrraoooow, myaa.

White Pawed Cat: Yawwwwn, yaaaan….

Brown Cat: Pyaaa!

Riquet: Wah! So many cats came over!

Bradley: They uh, look kinda fired up.

Akira: They’re likely jealous to see only one of them receive food.

Faust: I see some cats with collars on them. Perfect timing, I’ll gather all the collars at once.

Faust said as he made more dishes of the same food appear from thin air. 

The cats weren’t surprised from the sudden appearance of the food, and no sooner than when the plates lowered down to the floor they scrambled to get their first bite.

Lennox: …Alright. We’ve retrieved them all.

I don’t spot any more cats with collars here, though they may be hiding in a crack or two.

Faust: Let’s regroup with the Flores brothers then. Any cats hiding will eventually come out on their own. 

Akira: That’s true. And maybe Seda’s calmed down by now.

Mithra: Well I’m staying here. There’s a cat on my stomach so I can’t move.

Carefree Cat: Snnzzz…snzzzzz…

Shino: Sleeping on Mithra of all people. I like this one, it’s got guts.

Lennox: There was that squabble from earlier though, so I don’t think we should leave you alone…

Bradley: Aw shucks, guess I’ll stay behind then. The only one who can handle this guy is me, so I’ll be the watchdog.

Riquet: You say that while lying down…aren’t you just using Mithra as an excuse to slack off since you’re bad at catching cats. 

Bradley: Nooo, that ain’t it at all. Quit pointing fingers.

Akira: (He says, using magic to grab a cushion for him…he’s totally ready to slack off…)

Faust: …Whatever. If you see a collared cat, retrieve it. And of course, remember to play nice. 

Well then, we’re off.

Mitile: Rutile~

Rutile: Whaaat, Mitile?

Mitile: Ahaha! Rutile!

Rutile: Ahahaha! What is it, Mitile!

We went outside to where there were numerous cats sprawled out on the sand and rolling around. Among them was Rutile and Mitile,

holding a bouquet of catnip in their arms. 

Rutile: Sniff sniff…

Mitile: Sniff sniff…nom nom nom…

Lennox: Rutile, Mitile, are you alright?

Riquet: Ugh, get it together you two! 

Rutile: Ah, Mr. Leno, Riquet! And everyone too! We’ve gathered catnip to bring the cats over to us~

Here you go, have some~

Akira: Th…thank you…?

Mitile: Ehehe…purrrr…nom nom…

Shino: Well, this is a problem again. Is it the catnip?

Faust: Yeah. Cats won’t get intoxicated from just one or two of them, but an amount this much will definitely get them drunk. 

Akira: (Rutile’s a little more lucid than his brother. Is it because he’s a heavyweight drinker? …)

…Nibble nibble…

Riquet: Nibble nibble…

Lennox: Aah, not the Master Sage and Riquet…

Shino: Cut it out already. *squeeze*

Akira: Mgrr…! …Ha!

Shino went to each of us and squeezed our noses. The happy and fuzzy feeling in my head disappeared as soon as my breath stopped, and I returned to my normal senses.

Riquet and the Southern brothers straightened their backs in shock.

Rutile: T-Thank you, Shino.

Mitile: Ah, but now that I can smell it again it’s coming back…

Faust: The scent of catnip has a chemical in it that makes cats get drunk. Use magic to block it out when you breathe, or let the wind blow it away.

Master Sage, over here.

Akira: Ah…the fuzzy feeling’s all gone. Thanks, Faust.

Lennox: Mitile, Rutile. How were the cats around the manor?

Mitile: Oh, that’s right! We were going to report to you, but then our heads went fuzzy…

Uhmm, the cats living here don’t really go that far from the residence. 

We flew around on our brooms but there were no cats in the far distance.

Rutile: A lot of cats allowed us to pet them so we were able to get their collars and purify them.

Could you check if these are properly purified, Faust? 

Faust: …Yep, they are. You have my thanks, you two.

Rutile & Mitile: Yippee!

Lennox: You did well with just two people, good work.

Mitile: Ehehe, thanks! Pounce!

Rutile: Pounce!

Lennox: Woah…ahaha, *snuggle*

Akira: (This is what heaven looks like…)

Seda: …

Riquet: Ah, Seda came out from a bush…

Rutile: Hello, we’re sorry for startling you earlier. Are you okay now?

Seda: Hm~…

He gave a vague answer to Rutile’s question, and walked over to a single fallen catnip.

Ignoring us, he sniffed it and like the other cats, rolled over to show his belly and scratched his back against the ground.

Seda: Mm~...Hehehe…nibble nibble, *nuzzle* *rolling*

Akira: He’s in good spirits…

Faust: He already feels its effects like other cats from just a whiff of it. Perhaps his body is completely that of a cat. 

Rutile: Maybe we can have a conversation with him if he’s calm now. Seda, how do you feel?

Seda: Mm~, uhm…like, that time I drank wine before.

It was my brother’s birthday ball, and I thought it was juice…no wait, was it the barbeque at the summer house…

Riquet: A birthday ball, or a summer house…

Lennox: Right, he’s a son of a rich merchant.

Seda stretched his body wide. He was certainly relaxed enough to be able to talk about himself. 

Mitile made eye contact with him. 

Mitile: Uhm…can I ask something? Why do you want to be a cat, Seda?

Seda: ‘Cuz…cats can live on their own. I want to be like that.

Rutile: Live on their own…

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